Le Mans 2010 Le Mans 24 Hours

[Matthew Little]

Blimey!

They must be running the engines too hard for 3 out of 4 to pop like that.

That's what the Speed crew were saying; the Peugeots' were running 3:19, 3:20 laps while the Audi cars were running 3:22s'; something had to break and it did..........on three of the engines in their cars. They showed the ORECA garage when the #4 went down; everyone was stunned and shocked. Even Audi's boss, Wolfgang Ulrich, couldn't believe it when he saw it on the screens.........

 

[Matthew Little]

The boys from Ingolstadt celebrate a improbable 1-2-3 sweep of the LMP1 class as every major Peugeot competitor fell out with assorted problems during the 24 hours at la Sarthe


Final Results, 2010 24 Hours of LeMans
1. 9 LMP1 M.Rockenfeller, T.Bernhard, R.Dumas Audi Sport North America Audi R15 TDI 397 397 laps 33
2. 8 LMP1 A.Lotterer, M.Fassler, B.Treluyer Audi Sport Team Joest Audi R15 TDI 396 -1 lap 33
3. 7 LMP1 T.Kristensen, R.Capello, A.McNish Audi Sport Team Joest Audi R15 TDI 394 -3 laps 33
4. 6 LMP1 S.Ayari, D.Andre, A.Meyrick AIM Team ORECA-Matmut Oreca 01-AIM 369 -28 laps 33
5. 42 LMP2 N.Leventis, D.Watts, J.Kane Strakka Racing HPD ARX.01 367 -30 laps 27
6. 007 LMP1 H.Primat, S.Mucke, A.Fernandez Aston Martin Racing Lola B09/60 Aston Martin 365 -32 laps 30
7. 35 LMP2 M.Lahaye, G.Moreau, J.Charouz OAK Racing Pescarolo 01 Judd 361 -36 laps 29
8. 25 LMP2 M.Newton, T.Erdos, A.Wallace RML Lola B08/80 HPD 358 -39 laps 28
9. 24 LMP2 J.Nicolet, R.Hein, J-F.Yvon OAK Racing Pescarolo 01 Judd 341 -56 laps 26
10. 41 LMP2 K.Ojjeh, T.Greaves, G.Chandalon Team Bruichladdich Ginetta Zytek 09S 341 +2:12.700 31
11. 77 LMGT2 M.Lieb, R.Lietz, W.Hentzler Team Felbermayr Proton Porsche 911 GT3 RSR 338 -59 laps 23
12. 89 LMGT2 D.Farnbacher, A.Simonsen, L.Keen Hankook Team Farnbacher Ferrari F430 GT 336 -61 laps 24
13. 50 LMGT1 R.Berville, J.Canal, G.Gardel Larbre Competition Saleen S7R 331 -66 laps 27
14. 97 LMGT2 M.Holzer, R.Westbrook, T.Scheider BMS Scuderia Italia Porsche 911 GT3 RSR 327 -70 laps 28
15. 72 LMGT1 S.Gregoire, J.Policand, D.Hart Luc Alphand Aventures Chevrolet Corvette C6.R 327 +2:24.241 26
16. 95 LMGT2 G.Fisichella, J.Alesi, T.Vilander AF Corse Ferrari F430 GT 323 -74 laps 23
17. 76 LMGT2 R.Narac, P.Pilet, P.Long IMSA Performance Matmut Porsche 911 GT3 RSR 321 -76 laps 22
18. 28 LMP2 M.Rostan, R.Meichtry, P.Bruneau Race Performance AG Radical SR9 Judd 321 +1:31.736 29
19. 78 LMGT2 J.Muller, A.Farfus, U.Alzen BMW Team Schnitzer BMW M3 GT2 320 -77 laps 27
20. 40 LMP2 M.Amaral, O.Pla, W.Hughes Quifel-ASM Team Ginetta Zytek 09S 318 -79 laps 26
21. 75 LMGT2 P.Van Splunteren, N.Hommerson, L.Machiels Prospeed Competition Porsche 911 GT3 RSR 317 -80 laps 26
22. 52 LMGT1 C.Nygaard, T.Enge, P.Kox Young Driver AMR Aston Martin DBR9 311 -86 laps 22
23. 37 LMP2 P.Salini, S.Salini, T.Gommendy WR / Salini WR Zytek 308 -89 laps 30
24. 88 LMGT2 H.Felbermayr Sr, H.Felbermayr Jr, M.Konopka Team Felbermayr Proton Porsche 911 GT3 RSR 304 -93 laps 24
25. 26 LMP2 D.Brabham, M.Franchitti, M.Werner Highcroft Racing HPD ARX.01 296 -101 laps 26
26. 39 LMP2 J.de Pourtales, H.Noda, J.Kennard KSM Lola B08/47 Judd 291 -106 laps 22
27. 85 LMGT2 T.Coronel, P.Dumbreck, J.Bleekemoelen Spyker Squadron Spyker C8 Laviolette 280 -117 laps 25
28. 11 LMP1 P.Drayson, J.Cocker, E.Pirro Drayson Racing Lola B10/60 Aston Martin 253 -144 laps 30
note---top 3 classified finishers in each class highlighted

DNF 1 LMP1 A.Wurz, M.Gene, A.Davidson Team Peugeot Total Peugeot 908 HDi FAP .
DNF 2 LMP1 N.Minassian, S.Sarrazin, F.Montagny Team Peugeot Total Peugeot 908 HDi FAP .
DNF 3 LMP1 S.Bourdais, P.Lamy, S.Pagenaud Peugeot Sport Total Peugeot 908 HDi FAP .
DNF 4 LMP1 O.Panis, N.Lapierre, L.Duval Team ORECA-Matmut Peugeot 908 HDi FAP .
DNF 5 LMP1 N.Mansell, G.Mansell, L.Mansell Beechdean Mansell Ginetta Zytek .
DNF 12 LMP1 N.Prost, N.Jani, M.Andretti Rebellion Racing Lola B10/60 Rebellion .
DNF 13 LMP1 A.Belicchi, J-C.Boullion, G.Smith Rebellion Racing Lola B10/60 Rebellion .
DNF 14 LMP1 C.Bouchut, S.Tucker, M.Rodrigues Team Kolles Audi R10 TDI .
DNF 15 LMP1 C.Bakkerud, O.Jarvis, C.Albers Team Kolles Audi R10 TDI .
DNF 19 LMP1 M.Lewis, B.Willman, T.Burgess Autocon Motorsports Lola B06/10 AER .
DNF 29 LMP2 L.Pirri, M.Cioci, P.Perazzini Racing Box Lola B09/80 Judd .
DNF 38 LMP2 J.Schell, F.Da Rocha, D.Zollinger Pegasus Racing Norma Judd .
DNF 008 LMP1 P.Ragues, V.Ickx, F.Mailleux Signature Plus Lola B09/60 Aston Martin .
DNF 009 LMP1 D.Turner, J.Barazi, S.Hancock Aston Martin Racing Lola B09/60 Aston Martin .
DNF 60 LMGT1 T.Mutsch, R.Grosjean, J.Hirschi Matech Competition Ford GT Matech .
DNF 61 LMGT1 N.Gachnang, R.Frey, C.Allemann Matech Competition Ford GT Matech .
DNF 63 LMGT2 J.Magnussen, J.O'Connell, A.Garcia Corvette Racing Chevrolet Corvette C6 ZR1 .
DNF 64 LMGT2 O.Gavin, O.Beretta, E.Collard Corvette Racing Chevrolet Corvette C6 ZR1 .
DNF 69 LMGT1 A.Yogo, K.Yamanishi, H.Iiri JLOC Lamborghini Murcielago .
DNF 70 LMGT1 E.de Doncker, B.Leinders, M.Palttala Marc VDS Racing Ford GT Matech .
DNF 73 LMGT1 J.Jousse, X.Maassen, P.Goueslard Luc Alphand Aventures Chevrolet Corvette C6.R .
DNF 79 LMGT2 A.Priaulx, D.Muller, D.Werner BMW Team Schnitzer BMW M3 GT2 .
DNF 80 LMGT2 S.Neiman, D.Law, J.Bergmeister Flying Lizard Motorsport Porsche 911 GT3 RSR .
DNF 81 LMGT2 P.Gentilozzi, R.Dalziel, M.Goossens Jaguar RSR Jaguar XKRS .
DNF 82 LMGT2 J.Melo, G.Bruni, P.Kaffer Risi Competizione Ferrari F430 GT .
DNF 83 LMGT2 T.Krohn, N.Jonsson, E.van de Poele Risi Competizione Ferrari F430 GT .
DNF 92 LMGT2 R.Bell, T.Sugden, B.Miller JMW Motorsport Aston Martin Vantage .
DNF 96 LMGT2 L.Perez Companc, M.Russo, M.Salo AF Corse Ferrari F430 GT .

 

[Matthew Little]

Stories of Interest from around the Interwebs.................

Audi Clean Sweep at LeMans
LM24: Shock 1-2-3 For Audi
Audi Pushes Peugeot Over the Edge at LeMans
Felbermayr-Proton brings Porsche Back to Top
Audi Wins LeMans 24 For Ninth Time

 

[Brogan]

Thanks for all the updates Matthew.

In the end it wasn't the exciting finish it was shaping up to be but a great result for Audi nonetheless.

 

[Matthew Little]

Thanks for all the updates Matthew.

In the end it wasn't the exciting finish it was shaping up to be but a great result for Audi nonetheless.

You're welcome, Brogan.

As to the race itself..........as had become the pattern, this year's LeMans 24 was run almost as if it were a 2-3 hour sprint race; Peugeot just kept pushing and pushing.........and it came back to bite them as 4 of the Frech Lions dropped out, three w/engine failures of one sort of another. Anyone predicting Audi to win based on practice and qualifying hit the jackpot; even Ulrich and the rest of the Audi braintrust couldn't believe their good fortune.

In LMP2, you have to be happy for Strakka Racing; Nick Leventis' squad just dominated the class. No one had anything for them; not Patron Highcroft, not Quifel/ASM, not OAK Racing..........nobody. It was their class from pretty much the drop of the tri-colors' at race's start.

GT1..........in its' swan song, the class fight was more of a "last car standing" race rather than a fight. The Saleen S7 of Larbre Competition won the final GT1 honors at LeMans(next year GT1 will disappear, ostensibly "merged" with GT2 into a GT Endurance Class............ ) but any of the eight teams, from Larbre to both Matech Competition entries to the Luc Alphand entries, had a shot at winning. It will be sad not seeing the big-bore GT cars at la Sarthe next year................

GT2, on the other hand, was the most competitive of the four classes and it showed the whole race. No one had a clear grip on the class reigns......until about the 18hr. mark when the class-leading #64 Corvette ZR1 being driven by Antonio Garcia got to see the armco up-close-and-personal courtesy of agressive driving by Anthony Davidson in the #1 Peugeot 908 HDi. After that, the Felbermayer Porsche took thelead and, to quote the song, never looked back.

All in all, it was another LeMans 24. There were moments of happiness, moments of shock and disappointment and all the other things that remind us that LeMans is indeed one of the classic races on the calendar. Congratulations to all the class winners this year and good luck to everyone the remainder of 2010!